Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

H. H. AKERS.

MAIL BAG GATCHER AND DELIVBRER.

APPLICATION FILED NGV. 2, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A" ful l nventor Attorneys- Witnesses narran 'srarns rA'rEN'r orrion'.

HENRY HERBERT AKERS, OF CHERRYVALE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO ORA BLEAK AKERS, OF CHERRYVALE, KANSAS.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Annlication filed November Z, 1905, Serial No. 285,633.

simplified, bags may be effectually trans-l ferred from one to the other of the devices, and danger to the attendants is reduced to the minimum. It is also proposed to enable the convenient hanging of the mail-bags upon the two devices and to insure the, effective -transfer thereof from each to the other of the devices without any liability of the bag hanging and becoming displaced or injured during the transfer thereof.

Another object of the invention is to prevent undue swinging of the bag which is carried by the car device, thereby to prevent displacement of the bag before it reaches the stationary device and to insure the proper engagement of the bag with the stationary device.

Another object of the invention is to provide for positively holding the car device when projected outwardly through the cardoor into position for use and to effect automatic tripping of the holding means and swinging of the car device into the car after a bag has been delivered from the car device and another bag has been caught thereby.

Still another object is to provide for automatically swinging the stationary device away from the railway-track after it has performed its functions in transferring'the bags.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will'be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus of the present invention with parts broken away to disclose certain internal constructions thereof. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus in readiness `to transfer mail-bags with parts broken away to disclose the internal construction thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of the bag holding and receiving portions of the stationary member of the apparatus. tail view of the bag-holding means on the car device. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the bag-hold ing elements of the car device.

Like characters of reference designate core responding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The present invention is an improvement lupon my former patent, No. 790,245, issued May 16, 1905, and makes use of an extended cross-tie 1 for the support of the stationary device. A post 2 `rises from the outer end portion of the cross tie or sill 1, or, to be more correct, from a sill 3, disposed transversely across the outer end of the tie. Braces 4 converge upwardly from the ends of the sill 3 to the post 2, and upon the top of the latter is a cross-head 5, extending at substantially right angles to the railway-track 6. In'front of the post 2 there is a rotatable standard 7 having-its lower end mounted to rotate ina bearingV 8 and its upper end having a bearing in the front end of the cross-head 5. Upper kandlower substantially horizontal arms 9 and y1() are carried by the rotatable standard 7 and are -connected by an upright brace 11, the arm 9 being longer than the arm 10. It will here be explained that the standard 7, Vtogether with the arms 9 and 10, constitute a swinging crane which is capable of being swung to one side, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. A cross-head 12 is carried by the outer end of the arm 9, and this crosshead in turn carries substantially parallel upper and lower jaws 13 and 14, extending from opposite ends of the cross-h`ead, lthe upper jaws 13 being rendered rigid by means of braces 15, extending from the outer ends of said jaws to the arm 9. Upon the top of each jaw 13 there is a spring-catch 16 in the nature of a spring-rod having its inner end secured to the top of the fixed jaw 13 and its Fig. 4 is a de- IOO ' ner side of the car 42.

' Workin free end spaced above the jaw and extending across the outer end thereof, with the free extremity of the spring-catch turned back to form a finger-piece. A ring or link 17 slidably Aembraces each pair of jaws 13 and 14 and has a cable 18 connected thereto and running rearwardly therefrom to a suitable guide 19,preferablyf a pulley, carried by the adjacent side of the rear end of the stationary cross-head 5, from which it extends downwardly to another guide or pulley 20, carried by the standard, and is connected to a counterweight 21, working in a case 22, carried by the back of the post 2. The counterweight is provided with a projection 23, workingin a slot 24 in the case to prevent rotation of the weight and conse uent twisting of the cables or ropes. It wil of course be understood that there is a similar slot and projection at the opposite side of the weight and the case. When both rings are engaged with the jaws, the -crane is held at substantially right angles to the railway-track; but when either ring is removed the counterweight swings the crane to one side, as'indicated by dotted lines in Fig. lof the drawings.

Beneath the arm 10 and carried thereby is a case 25, containing a slide or plunger 26, through the front of the case and normal y'held retracted by a helical spring 27, contained within the case. jaw^28 is carried by the outer end of the case, and a movable jaw 29 is carried by the outer Aend of the slide 26, so as to coperate with the front face of the jaw 28. The slide 26 is provided with a handle 30, depending through a slot 31 in the bottom of the case 25 for convenience in moving thej aw outwardly against the tension of therspring. A bracket 32 is disposed at the outer or forward limit of the jaw 29 and is connected to the case 25 by an arm 33, which loosely pierces the movable jaw 29. 4The upper end of the bracket 32 overhangs the jaw 39 at its outer limit and carries a swinging catch 34 to be swung down back of the jaw, and thereby hold the same open, said catch having a trip or handle 35 rising therefrom and disposed in the path of a portion of the car device, whereby the movable jaw may be released and snapped vinwardly to grip a balgbetween the two jaws.

The car device of t e present invention includes a crane made up of a substantially horizontal hollow arm 36, preferably in the nature of semitubular castings which are riveted or otherwise secured to one another. The rear end of this arm is provided with an eye 37, and a brace 38 inclines downwardly and rearwardly from the bottom of the arm and terminates in an eye 39 in alinement with the eye 37 for the reception of a pivot rod or bolt 40, which also passes through upper and lower bearings 41, secured to the in- Upon the outer end A stationaryman of the arm there is a longitudinally-bifurcated cross-head 43, wherein is a laterally-movable jaw 44 in coperation with the outer side 45 of the head as a stationary jaw. The construction and operation of the movable jaw 44 is similar to that disclosed in my patent hereinbefore referred to. A longitudinallyslotted stem 46 carries the jaw 44 and works in the head 45. An upstanding lever 47 is fulcrumed upon the brace 38 and rises through the slotted portions of the arm 36 and the stem 46. Within the slot of the stem 46 there is a helical spring 48, having its front end connected to the arm 36, as indicated at 49, while its rear end is connected to the lever 47, as at 50, the connection 5() also being connected to the slidable stem, whereby the movable jaw 44 may be retracted by swing ing the lever rearwardly. For holding the movable jaw open there is la link 51, pivoted to the inner face of the stationary jaw 45, as

vbest shown in Fig. 1, with la rod 52 pivoted to the freev end of the link and extending outwardly through an opening in the rear end of the head, Where it is provided with a trip projection 53, extending laterally outward beyond the stationary jaw. By swinging the lever 47 rearwardly the j aw 44 may be retracted, after which the rod 52 is moved forwardly, so as to swing the link 51 transversely between the two jaws, and thereby hold the saine separated in position to receive a bag which' is hung upon the stationary portion of the pres-2,y

ent, apparatus.

Upon the head 45 there is a bag-holder consisting of asubstantially horizontal arm or rod 54, hung beneath the head and connected thereto by a suitable hanger 55 at the forward end of the arm, the rear end of the arm being free from the head. A bracket 56 depends from the head adjacent the rear free end of the arm 54, and a ri'ngor link 57 is loosely carried by the bracket and capable of embracing the free end of the arm 54, the latter having suiiicient elasticity to swing downwardly when the link 57 is removed therefrom.

As best exhibited in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be 4seen that the bag to be held by the car device, as shown in dotted lines at 58, is provided at its mouth with a pair of rings 59, which are slid upon the arm 54, and then the link 57 is engaged with the free end of the arm, so as to prevent displacement of the bag from the arm. To prevent undue swinging of the bag upon the bag-holding arm, there is a guard consisting of a hanger .60, depending from-the head 45 and rovided at its lower end with a horizonta ly-disposed substantially U-shaped spring-clamp 61, disposed at a suitable distance below the arm 54 and designed to embrace the bag when the latter is hung from the arm 54.

When the car device is swung outwardly AIOO IIO

di A 1,

paratus.

salii into its operative position, it is held there by means of a spring-catch 62 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings) and secured to the adjacent door-post, there being a seat or keeperl 63 provided upon the top of the arm 36 for engagement by the catch. The outer free end of the catch is provided with a trip portion 64, llying in front of the lever 47 and in the forward path thereof, so that when the movable aw 44 is released and moved forwardly by the spring 48 the llever 47 will also be drawn forwardly, and thereby disengage the catch 62 from the keeper 63, and thereby release the arm 36, which is automatically swung into the car by a spring 65, which is connected to the inner wall oi the car and to a bracket 66 upon the inner end of the arm 36.

In practice a bag 58 is engaged with the bag-holder of the car device and the latter swung out into operative position, where it is held in the manner hereinbeiore described. A bag 67 isthen hung byits rings 68 upon thatjaw 14 which extends in the direction ofy movement of the approaching train, the ring 17 of course being replaced after the bag has been hung upon the crane. The movable jaw 29 of the crane is of course drawn out and held by the catch 34. When the car reaches the stationary portion of the present apparatus, the bag 58 enters between the jaws 28 and 29 and the lower portion of the guard strikes the trip portion 35 of the catch 34, and thereby releases the jaw 29, which springs rearwardly and clamps the bag between the two aws and holds the same stationary, while the car device continues with the car, and the bag-holding member 54 is thereby drawn out of the rings 59 upon the bag, the latter being left hanging between the aws of the stationary portieri of the ap- The bag 67, which is hung from the stationary part of the apparatus, is received between the jaws 44 and 45 oi' the car device, and when the trip 53 strikes the part 11 of the crane the spring-jaw 44 will be released, so as to grip the bag between the two jaws, which drags the bag from the stationary portion of the apparatus and swings the bag into the interior of the car in the manner hereinbefore described. Upon reference to Fig. 1 oi: the drawings it will be noted that the car and stationary portions of the apparatus are arranged to have the jaws of one portion lie in the path of the bag ofthe other portion in order that there may be a proper engagement of these elements. When the bag 67 is dragged from its holder, the adjacent ring 17 will be slid from the jaws 13 and 14, thereby releasing the counterweight 21, which descends and automatically swings the crane away from the track into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It is proposed to brace the crane of the sta- I tionary portion against the strains occasioned by the impact of the car and the stationary devices, this being carried out by means of a brace-cable 69, having its lower end secured to the part 11. It is of course necessary to .have a flexible brace in order that the crane may be folded or swung away from the track after the passage of the train.

A rigid brace 7 0 extends between the post 2 and the tie 1 and is provided with a bowed or deiiected portion 71 to pass around the standard 7, so as not to interfere with the rotation thereot'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a car device mounted to swing horizontally into and out oi' the car, a springactuated bag-gripping jaw upon the car device, means to hold the jaw open, means to trip the jaw, means to hold the-car device in its operative position, and means controlled by the jaw-holding means for releasing the car device.

2. In a mail catching and delivering apparatus, the combination with a car, of a horizontally-swinging'car device, a spring-pressed jaw carried by the device, means to hold the jaw open, means to trip the aw-holding means, a catch carried by the car, a keeper upon the car device for engagement with the catch, means controlled by the jaw-holding means for releasing the catch from the keeper, and means to automatically swing the car device into the car when the catch is released.

3. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination with a support, of a horizontally-swinging crane having a movable jaw, a spring connected to the jaw and the crane, a lever for moving the jaw against the pressure of the spring, means for holding the aw open,`means to trip the awholding means, a catch`engaging the crane and the support to hold the former in its operative position and located in the path of the lever to be tripped thereby, and means to automatically swing the crane from its operative position when the catch is released.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a car device, a stationary device, a pair of tensioned jaws carried by one of the devices, a catch to hold the jaws open, a bag-holder carried by the other device, and a guard carried by said other device for engagement with the bag to prevent swinging thereof, a portion of the jaw-holding means being disposed in the path of the guard to be tripped thereby.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a stationary device, a iXed j aw and a spring-actuated jaw carried thereby, a bracket projected in advance of the movablej aw, a catch pivoted upon the bracket and capable of being engaged with the mov- IOO IOS

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able jaw to hold the same open, a car device, a bag-holder carried thereby, and a substantially U-shaped spring-clamp hung from the car device for embracing the bag, a portion of the catch being disposed in the path of the clamp for automatically releasing the springactuated jaw.

6. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a crane, opposite bag-hold* ing means upon the crane and including removable elements, a counterweight, and cables connected to the counterweight and the respective removable elements to normally hold the Weight elevated, said Weight capable of swinging the crane to one side when either of the removable elements is removed.

7. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with' a frame, of a crane mounted upon the frame to swing upon a vertical axis, opposite bag-holding means carried by thev crane, a counterweight movable vertically upon the frame, removable elements included in the bag-holding means, guides upon opposite sides of the frame, and cables connected to counterweights and running through certain of the guides to the respective removable elements.

`In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn l. have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY HERBERT AKERS. Witnesses:

LOUIS E. DoDDs, JULrUs B. ANDRUs. 

